"Life's a Journey, Not a Destination..."

This simple quote from the Aerosmith song "Amazing" is one that I have come to adopt (or try to) as my life's motto.
Welcome to my blog and my attempt to document my life's journey.
Thank you for taking the time to view it!

Monday, May 10, 2010

I haven't been in touch for a while now, I know, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the global economies, markets and, worse, currencies are beginning to smolder and are currently sending up plumbs of smoke, not unlike that of Glacier Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland just a few weeks ago.

The crisis in Greece brought my attention to the fact that I had better finish writing the investment thesis I started a few months ago before all of my work went to pot, as the saying goes. Therefore, I began publishing my thesis in parts, rather than one gigantic article, on my website Common-Sense-Investing just a few days ago. I just concluded writing the second part of the article over the weekend and will be posting the third segment this week.

I invite you to take a look at these articles, as I have tried to pack as much historical information in them as possible prior to giving my own detailed thesis so that you can better understand why I believe the way that I do and, in turn, learn more about the U.S. banking system than probably 99% of the population living here.

Information brings knowledge; knowledge brings understanding; understanding combined with experience brings wisdom. Unfortunately, most Americans, including myself, have relied on others, namely the media, to inform us of the world and what we should know about it for much too long. They have failed us dramatically, as the last crisis pointed out. Now is the time for the citizens of the world to use the power of the Internet and all of the information on it to start informing themselves and making decisions on their own.

In my opinion, we are on the prefaces of a global financial meltdown of epic proportions. My website, Common-Sense-Investing, is my little contribution to try to inform as many people as I know of our precarious situation so that they can protect themselves during the coming turbulent times. I do not expect anyone to implement my suggestions on the site without first informing themselves, but I will be implementing them personally, as I believe my hypothesis to be correct.

If nothing else, I urge you to please read over my first two articles so that you can learn as much about the U.S financial industry and our current situation. It is important for your own financial survival.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Illinois holds its primaries on Tuesday, February 2nd and as someone who is wholeheartedly upset at the path that my nation has decided to walk down, this is the first year in which I have actively participated in a campaign. Taking my civic duty extremely seriously this election season, I have gone out of my way to vet the candidates eligible in the Illinois 10th Congressional District and then actively promote and work on their behalf. As someone who has voted independent of party lines in the past, having written in the names candidates that I preferred to those on the ballot (Ron Paul in 2009, for instance), this is oddly strange to me but very satisfying. I am hopeful that the candidates that I have supported and worked for will win on Tuesday and am confident that they are the right people for their respective and prospective positions.

Being fully aware that others might not be completely up to speed on the candidates in the Republican primary, I have decided to post my selections for February 2nd below. So without further adieu, I would like to introduce to you the candidates that I am backing for the Republican ticket in November for Illinois 10th Congressional District.

Mark Kirk won't even debate Hughes, as Hughes would destroy his liberal voting record. Kirk said that he is a "capitalist first" yet voted FOR cap and trade-- the largest tax bill in U.S. history.

Hughes formed a group to attack Governor Quinn's tax increase last year and defeated it successfully.

While answering one of my questions during a recent panel at a senior center about his lack of voting record during recent Republican primaries, Hughes looked me straight in the eye and without flinching told me that "it is a learning experience" and that their weren't many conservative candidates during that time period as well. His response, while not exactly what I had hoped, seemed honest to me.

I believe that he is genuinely running in order to create good for the nation, not for himself.

I had never heard of Dan Proft until I watched the Illinois Republican Gubernatorial debate on WTTW but after listening to all of the candidates, it was abundantly clear that Mr. Proft was the only candidate that I was willing to consider for governor.

Amid all of the insider bickering and backstabbing, Dan was the only candidate that stuck to the issues and who actually had a plan for reform the state, not to mention the fact that he has a private business background to go along with it.

After seeing Mr. Proft speak in person and meeting him personally, I feel confident that he remains pure to his word. A political outsider willing to jump in the ring with the wolves and tame the pack in Springfield.

While reading candidate profiles late one night, I stumbled onto Mr. Plummer's and liked what I read... until I saw his age-- 27. Then I saw him speak in person.

Jason is quite possibly the most mature 27 year old that I have seen and has more real world experience than most people twice his age.

Jason's family runs a lumber company; Jason worked at the Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C, a conservative think tank; and he appears to have the right combination of being a Springfield outsider, coupled with passion for public work and a desire to help Illinois regain its national status.

This was the toughest calls for me of all of the candidates listed above.

While there is no doubt that Mr. Friedman has a firm grasp on the nation's medical issues-- he's an accomplished doctor-- I question Arie's financial acumen. Then again, Dr. Ron Paul has made a fantastic Congressman for years and has led true reform.

All of the other candidates are either completely unqualified, are a political insider or a friend of Mark Kirk.

Having seen Mr. Friedman speak in person, I think that he could just be a rough diamond needing to be polished. It appears his head is firmly on his shoulders and would be a great asset on our behalf against a diabolical Congress, hell bent on doing anything but reforming our nation's health care system.

Taking part in the election process is one of the most important civic duties that a citizen can participate in, and while I realize that many might not agree with my selections, I hope that you would consider them while deciding which candidates peak your interest.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

A wise man once said that telling others what you plan to accomplish makes you accountable to yourself. Therefore, I thought where else better than to post my goals for 2010 on my personal blog for everyone to see. Please feel free to check-in and ask me how I am doing with my goals throughout the year... I want this year to be an ambitious one. No man is an island-- your support will help push me through!